NASA opened a container with samples of the asteroid Bennu after several months of attempts and showed a photo of the filling. The image shows the rock that the OSIRIS-REx probe took from the asteroid.
According to OSIRIS-REx team member Lindsay Keller, the scientists examined the samples almost at the atomic level.
The asteroid Bennu, estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old, may provide clues about the formation of our solar system and how life first appeared on Earth.
Scientists have already found signs of carbon and water in the excess material found on the outside of the container. Although they hoped to get at least 60 grams of regolith from the asteroid, OSIRIS-REx was able to capture much more. The team gained 70.3 grams from the additional material alone.
The samples will be analyzed for two years.
